JNU students boycott classes as hunger strike enters day 12 Students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi observed a complete university strike on Thursday, marking the 12th day of their hunger strike as they continued to demand action on various unresolved issues.
Scores of students boycotted classes to put pressure on the university administration, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), which led the protest, said.
Only a small section of students in a few schools, particularly the School of Sanskrit and Indic Studies (SSIS), attended the classes, while all the other classes remained suspended.
According to Rajeshwar Kant Dubey, president, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) JNU unit, the organisation did not participate in the university strike.
The RSS-affiliated student body has, however, been sitting on a separate strike on the campus since the past 31 days regarding various student-related issues.
The JNUSU has called for the strike to continue until Friday, after which they plan to lead a long march to the Ministry of Education.
They have urged the ministry to intervene in the matter and address their concerns.
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The JNUSU’s indefinite hunger strike started on August 11 near the Sabarmati T Point against the university’s alleged unresponsive attitude to their various demands, including increasing scholarship amounts.
Their demands also include a caste census, lifting ban on protests on campus and withdrawal of proctorial inquiries initiated against students for participating in protests on campus.
Student organisations from various other educational institutions, including Jamia Millia Islamia, Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, have expressed solidarity with those participating in the hunger strike.
On Wednesday, Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit met the protesting students and urged them to end their hunger strike. The students, however, continued the strike and have called for a march to the Ministry of Education on August 23.
Several students had to end their hunger strike after their health deteriorated, with two students being referred to AIIMS by JNU’s health centre on Monday. Despite their condition, the two students refused treatment to continue their protest.
